Domestic and foreign adoption in Belgium on downward trend

In 2014, 23 children were placed for domestic adoption in Belgium, a decrease compared to 2013 (26) and the lowest number since 2006, writes Belga based on a report by the Flemish Centre for Adoption (VCA). The report reveals a number of noteworthy statistics, such as a halving in the number of foreign adoptions in Belgium over the last two years, from 122 in 2012 to 61 in 2014.

Of the 61 children placed last year, half came from Ethiopia (18) and Poland (12). Three children were adopted by a single woman, and the rest by a couple. The number of prospective parents for foreign adoption is also on a downward trend, with 319 applicants in 2014 compared to 831 applicants in 2007.

Long waiting periods may have something to do with the declining numbers. The average waiting period for prospective adoptive parents varies greatly. Sometimes it can take two years, but in some cases, especially for adoptions from China, India or Thailand, it can take four to five years before a child is placed with an adoptive family in Belgium.